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The Finer Cut Guide: Manscaping 101

It’s a confusing, often hairy, landscape out there for men when it comes to how (or even whether or not) he should go about taming the follicle features that blanket him. At present in culture we’re bombarded with conflicting images of men both hairy, and hairless, yet equally masculine. What’s a guy to do? Well, our argument here is that if you’re uncertain enough to be consulting this article, then the middle ground is probably where you want to be. So let’s get started with the basics of the manliest art.

Leave Something Behind
Free your mind from the false idea that the only beautiful body is a hairless one.

A good start is to get that hairy body in front of the mirror and learn to love it, because odds are you’re not going to get rid of everything from head to toe. You want to look your best, and you can’t look your best when you have a fur coat hiding all those hours you’ve spent at the gym.

TOOLS

Small Towel

Multi-razor/Electric Razor/Wax/Cream/Sugar

Shaving Cream/Gel

A Small Handmirror

GETTING STARTED:

BACK: If you’re one of those guys that respond with, “Some women like a hair back!”, then do one thing: take your razor and ask your girlfriend to shave your back. If she likes it that much, she will, but we’re willing to bet most women will have your silverback smoothed in seconds flat.

Although we relate to the school that says a back should be hairless, waxed to smoothness (at least in the summer months), a general rule if you’re going to keep a little hair is that the tops of your shoulders and the base of your neck should be completely free of hair. To avoid the appearance of a hairy Berlin Wall running along your shoulder, use an electric trimmer with a comb attachment to shorten the hair and even its appearance.

CHEST: There’s nothing wrong with having a well maintained plot of hair on our chest. Chest hair is widely accepted, attractive to most women, and above all, classically masculine. Bottom line, we‘re men and we want to show it off, but not to the point where it leaks out of our collars.

As with your back, make sure that your chest-hair doesn’t make an appearance when you’re wearing a shirt, and ideally trim it back so that it maintains a well-proportioned inverted-triangle that sits centered just above your sternum.

EYEBROWS: This is one of the most important – and most overlooked – places for a guy to manscape, since it’s a place that people instinctively look at when they’re interacting with you. If you’re lucky enough to have naturally nice eyebrows, then a simple and seldom plucking with a pair of tweezers will tame an errant hairs between your brows.

For those with a serious unibrow, we hate to say it, but you need to seek professional help. The only thing worse than a unibrow is one that’s been chopped into two hairy caterpillars above your eyes. A professional aesthete will not only separate your brows into individual units, but also sculpt and shape them.

PUBIC REGION: We’re going to keep this short, and sweet. If you want to go smooth, use a razor with only ONE blade; you’re Mach 3 will do a number on the delicate skin down there. For most guys, taking an electric trimmer with a #1 or #2 attachment will give you a nice, even appearance in no time, and with no pain.

A lot of guys avoid this because they feel it’s too prissy, or dangerous to bother venturing into. In response, we only say this: a well maintained lawn makes the tree look bigger.

EARS & NOSE: There’s nothing more offbeat than seeing a hairless body with nose/ear hairs invading public spaces. Find yourself a pair of nose/ear trimmers or go to the barber to make sure those hairs never see the light of day. Remember, if you cut them too short, you’ll be sneezing uncontrollably from all the dust and bacteria you’ll run into throughout the day.

PRACTICE RESTRAINT:

A little light trimming of the hair on the arms, legs, and other places is fine, just make sure you leave them natural looking. Unless you’re a competitive swimmer, cyclist or model, arms and legs can be left a little hairy. Also, excess shaving of your body means that you’re going to have to endure those uncomfortable interim periods when the hair is growing back. Take a #2 or #3 electric trimmer, and just even things out if you want.